As we continue to strengthen our faith in Christ, we can find joy in creativity and receive creative gospel joy and blessings, despite the challenges we face.
When we were kids, we showed excitement and took pride in displaying our creative abilities, whether through drawing, making a silly home video, or engaging with other creative outlets. As we get older, most of us begin to lose faith in ourselves and our abilities and begin to shy away from creativity. If we strengthen our faith in and love for the Lord and learn that creativity isn’t expressed through art alone, we can once again find joy and receive blessings through creativity and faith.
Photo by Cottonbro
In his 2018 General Conference talk “Our Campfire of Faith,” Elder Gerrit W. Gong shares how a day of painting with Elder Richard G. Scott taught him that strengthening our faith in Christ can help us find joy and fulfillment through creativity. In his remarks, Elder Gong makes two important points on faith and creativity:
- Faith can help us find joy in creativity. The Lord knows each and every one of us and the trials that we face in life. When we feel upset or angry with our circumstances, we can turn to Christ in order to find joy through creativity of all kinds, including imagining, learning, and doing new things.
- When we have faith in and love for the Lord and others, we can receive creative gospel joy and blessings. Throughout the scriptures, the two commandments of loving God and loving your neighbor are mentioned time and time again. As we strengthen our faith in God, and in turn strive to follow his commandments, we will receive joy and blessings that will help us open the doors to our creativity.
Just as little kids find joy in coloring and many other simple activities, if we have faith in the Lord and follow his commandments, we can find joy and creativity in our many varied circumstances.
To learn more about how having faith can strengthen our creativity, read or watch Elder Gerrit W. Gong’s talk “Our Campfire of Faith.”
Source: General Conference
—Kenedie Stewart, Latter-day Saint Insights
FEATURE IMAGE BY ARTEM PODREZ
Find more insights
Discover more about creativity and happiness in Rachel Frei’s article “How I Found Happiness in Average Creativity.”
Read Elder Richard G. Scott’s talk “Finding Joy in Life” to learn more about how to find joy in life despite the challenges we may face.